Even when I was young, there was this weird pressure to be sexy during Halloween. At 11 or 12, my witch costume was composed of a full corset, fake eye lashes, and an ass-showing tutu…I knew then that something was wrong with this picture. In High School, the costumes got worse (and in the eyes of the media they got better) and by that time girls were running around the city wearing lingerie, high heels, and cat ears at the not-even-legal age of 16… Men thought we were older than we were, and I was being treated as an object to look at, nota person with feelings. I quickly realized that this was the fault of the media, and it was up to me to do something… so I bought some felt from Hobby Lobby, and a hoodie from Wal-Mart, and I sewed some cute little bear ears onto the hood, drew a cute little nose, did my makeup, and I was ready to go. Not only was I treated more respectfully, but at the end of the night I felt amazing that I didn’t have to show skin up to get people to notice me. In this post I will give you tons of options to still rock it on Halloween, and feel confident in your own body.

1. Spirit Hoods

Okay, so I’m starting off with Spirit Hoods just because they’re something you can use for Halloween, and a ton of other stuff. Yes these animal hoods can be pretty pricy, but you can wear it in the winter when you’re cold, I know a ton of people wear them to raves and music festivals, and they’re simple and modest. I have the owl hood, all I did for this cool costume was pop in some colored contacts, drew on an owl beak, wore all grey, and I was good to go!

2. Kigurumis

“A group of friends having fun together while wearing Kigurumis.”​Image Credit: Kigurumi Shop

In my eyes, these are those one-stop shop kind of deals. You don’t need to buy any accessories, or even do your makeup at all. These are perfect for those Halloweens in Colorado, or any other cold state because they are a one-size fits all onesie! It will keep you festive, warm, and people will know exactly what you are. (Plus they double as the best pajamas you’ll ever have!).

3. Rosie the Riveter

​“A young woman dressed as Rosie the Riveter.”Image Credit: Mychelle.com

​Nothing is more pro-feminism than a Rosie the Riveter costume, and nothing is easier than this one guys! All you have to do is find a red piece of fabric, polka-dot it with some paint pens, do some classic red lips, and drench yourself in denim everything and you’re good to go! Powerful, feminist, cheap, and there is no better way to feel more confident than wearing jeans and a button up, right?

4. Tina Belcher

“Tina Belcher in front of her dad’s restaurant in the TV show Bob’s Burgers.”​Image Credit: CloudPix.com

Okay, okay, maybe this one is just for me because I am borderline obsessed with Bob’s Burgers, but how cheap, efficient, and wonderful would it be to be Tina Belcher for a night? Find a blue t-shirt, a jean skirt, white tube socks that you can wrap some red tape around, and black converse. You can make her goofy glasses out of construction paper and foam-core, as well as her yellow hair clip. If you have black hair already, you’re set, if not, the only splurge on this costume would be the wig! Uhhhhh……Hopefully you already own some black converse!

5. Any Animal

This is what I was talking about in the intro, and to me this is the easiest, most comfortable, costume on the list. You can buy these sweatshirts pre-made but you can make your own too. All you need to do is go to American Apparel, Wal-Mart, or any other major hoodie supplier, and sew on some ears you make from felt at Hobby Lobby. Do your makeup like a champ (there are a ton of animal makeup tutorials online), look cute, and people will be telling you about how adorable and simple your idea was and how they wish they thought of it. Pin a tail to your jeans for that extra little bit!

6. Any Sports Figure

I love this one, because all you need is a jersey, a baseball cap, and some sneakers. Anyone want to be Steph Curry for Halloween, just deck yourself out in Warriors colors, and borrow your guy friends jerseys and you’ve got a costume that is a great conversation starter, cute, and casual! You won’t have to say “No” once this halloween, because you’ll be ready for any activity. Score!

7. A Sugar Skull

“Nancyvlp does her makeup as a Sugar Skull in her own YouTube tutorial.”​Photo Credit: nancyvlp, youtube.com

Truthfully, this is totally what I’m going to be this year! It’s all about the makeup! If you’re an artist like me, this one might be your favorite. Look up cool sugar skulls on Pinterest, and buy one of those flower hair clips from Claire’s and wear all black for a stunning, and unique look no one else will have at the party. Even if someone shows up as another sugar skull, you both will be completely different because yours is hand-painted and 100% unique to you! Add some Gemstones around the eyes like this girl to get that 3D look! Click on my photo credit to get this look in a step-by-step tutorial by nancyvlp!

8. Where's Waldo

Everyone knows of this children’s book, and people will definitely be shouting “Hey, I found Waldo!” all night, but if you want the attention it’s certainly worth it! Wear your favorite dark jeans, your mom’s reading glasses, a red beanie, and a red and white striped shirt from Forever 21 or amazon, and you’re set, don’t lose yourself though, I hear it’s very hard to switch back to being yourself after you’ve been Waldo for a night! ​

9. Sadness from Inside Out

“Sadness from Inside Out the Movie at the Control Panel of Riley’s Brain.”​Photo Credit: Walt Disney Animation Studios, DisneyWikia.com

Or Joy, or Disgust or Anger, or whoever lives in our brains, but sadness would definitely be the easiest! Finding that turtle neck could be hard though! If you already have a big white bulky sweater you’re in luck! For this costume, you just need to paint your face blue, make some cute classes, wear your jeans, the sweater, and some cute blue flats. You can tell everyone about how your costume is going to stick in their head as a core memory!

10. Pikachu

With Pokemon Go being all the rage, be your favorite Pokemon! You of course don’t have to be Pikachu, but being a Pokemon couldn’t be any easier. From a Pikachu to a Polywrath (yes, I love this game don’t judge), all these costumes can be made by wearing a solid color, drawing the decorative parts with felt pens or tape, and doing a great makeup job. If you’re like me, you probably won’t be going out to party on Halloween, you might be traveling the city catching ghost Pokemon!

“Body image” is classified as the way someone perceives their body and assumes that others perceive them. This image is often affected by family, friends, social pressure and the media. Most women I come across often have a poor body image, and I think this partly stems from our parents, siblings, and friends, but more interwoven is the ideals of the media that penetrate our minds deeper. The only way for women as a whole to break the pressure is to be the change, not to wish for something better. Let me tell you now that it absolutely it starts this Halloween! The more women portray themselves as respectable, the more respected we become. The more we run around in bunny ears and panties, the more people will expect whatever that is. Be the change this Halloween, be confident, and original!

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A Guide to Using Art as a Coping Skill, through the lens of a former psychiatric ward patient, and current painter.